Blade dispenser



Nov. 1, 1955 R. L. SINCLAIR 2,722,308

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United States Patent Office 2,722,308 Patented Nov. 1, 1955 BLADEDISPENSER Robert L. Sinclair, Dedham, Mass., assignor to The GilletteCompany, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delawar Application January 8,1953, Serial No. 330,214

18 Claims. (Cl. 206-16) This invention comprises a new and improveddispenser for thin sharp-edged blades, such as safety razor blades,constructed and arranged to contain a liberal v supply of bare unwrappedblades without danger of damage to their keen sharp edges, and tofacilitate the delivery of the blades one by one as required by theuser.

The invention is herein shown in its application to a dispenserconstructed at least in part of resinous plastic material that may bereadily and accurately molded to shape. Such plastic materials have theadvantage of being light in weight, moisture and corrosion proof and oflow cost to the manufacturer. They are, however, under some conditionssubject to deformation by cold flow of the plastic material whensubjected to continuous stress, as for example, the pressure exerted bya spring located within the dispenser for positioning the blade stack.An object of the present invention is to obviate this weakness byproviding in the dispenser a self-contained metallic system elfective toexert continuous yielding pressure upon the blade stack independently ofthe plastic elements of the dispenser.

In the illustrative example herein shown, the main body of the dispensermay be molded from resinous plastic, and this combined with a sheetmetal cover which is connected to the plastic body and provided with athumb or finger opening. A bowed spring is disposed within the dispenserand supported entirely upon the metal cover independently of the plasticbody and of the connection between the plastic body and the metal cover.The bowed spring is supported in such a position as to bias the bladestack always toward the finger opening of the cover, and

in this manner a completely self contained metallic system including thespring is provided. The plastic body is, therefore, entirely relieved ofcontinuous stress so that it may be relied upon to hold its shapefor anindefinite period of time and is not subject to deformation regardlessof changes in temperature that it may undergo. I

The invention includes within its scope :a novel process of loadingdispensers of the character above described with thin flexible bladesand assembling the elements of the dispensers, This process ischaracterized by the steps of superimposing .a stack of blades upon aflat spring plate Y or blade, then curving or bowing the plate in situ,and finally latching .or fastening the plate in its bowed and stressedcondition while maintaining the blade stack undisturbed above it.

Preferably and as herein shown, the metal cover is I flanged :to supportthe Opposite edges of the spring plate and under .these circumstances,this plate may be bowed by pressure exerted on it through the superposedblades of the stack and bro ght into i flange-supported position whilein bowed condition, all Without imposing any stress upon the plasticbody of the dispenser.

G ing m r into de ail, it ,is propose to a sem the blades in stackformation upon a flat spring plate within the dispenser, then to .bowthespring transversely by pressure exerted in part through the blade stack,and finally, to transfer the spring-supporting function to the flangesof the cover, thereby biasing the blade stack toward the finger-openingof the cover while leaving the plastic body of the dispenser entirelyfree of stress. The process above outlined is not herewith claimed butconstitutes the subject matter of my divisional application Serial No.497,211 filed March 28, 1955.

The dispenser has further novel features of construction, and among themare those that provide within the body of the dispenser a used bladecompartment. This is effected, as herein shown, by forming at both endsof the plastic body tables raised above the bottom and shaped to locatea blade-supporting plate at a level suitable for the top of anunderlying chamber. Blade inlet slots are provided in the bottom of thebase at the inner end of each table. The tables not only locate theblade-supporting plate for this purpose, but also supply rests for itduring the blade loading operation, although it may be temporarilylifted from the tables while the spring is being bowed in engaging itwith the flanges of the sheet metal cover. A characteristic anddesirable feature of this invention is that the dispenser employs anormally fiat spring and that the maximum deformation of the spring isinitially imparted to it. As it performsits function of progressivelymoving the uppermost blade of the stack into discharging position, thedeformation and stress of the spring gradually decreases; that is tosay, the spring approaches its normal flat condition as the number ofblades in the stack approaches exhaustion.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood andappreciated from the following description of a preferred embodimentthereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the elements of the dispenser shownin exploded relation.

Figs. 2 and 3 are views in cross section, partly in elevation,illustrating the loading and assembling steps.

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of the loaded dispenser, and

Fig. 5 is a bottom View of the same.

In its illustrated form the dispenser comprises four elements inaddition to the blade stack which it contains. These, as shownindividually in Fig. 1, comprise a body molded of plastic resin, a metalspring plate which is initially substantially flat when unstressed, aribbed supporting plate of sheet metal and a cover, also of sheet met l-The plastic body, while not necessarily .of uniform thickness in all itsparts, is designed so that its mass is distributed as equally aspossible throughout its-entire area, since this is a conditionfacilitating both the molding operation and the sturdiness of the moldedstructure. The body comprises a fiat bottom 10 substantially rectangularin contour and having upright side walls 11 and 12, both of which areinterrupted so as to form a wide notch or recess symmetrically locatedin the walls on opposite sides of the body. The lower edges of the wallsections are provided with a downwardly opening channel 13 for thereception of flanges on the side walls of the cover as will presentlyappear. The bottom 1d terminates at each end in a semi-circular recessor opening 14 while the side walls 11 and i2extend beyond these recessesand are connected by low end walls 15 and 16. From the end walls extendinwardly fiat tables 17 and 18 with rounded inner ends, and from thesetables extend upstanding studs 19 and 20. The tables 117 and 18 arelocated substantially above the level of the bottom 10 and serveinitially to hold the supporting plate which underlies end to provide alower edge 22 for a corresponding exit opening. These bottom sectionsextend between the side walls 11 and 12 and are provided at each endwith a projecting cover-supporting lug 23-24 which is located slightlybelow the top edge of the side walls. Both of the side walls areprovided at each of their ends with external pads 25 which provideshoulders against the inner edges of which the end of the cover are tobe fitted and which also supply a pleasing finish to the dispenser as awhole.

The bottom is also provided with a pair of spaced parallel apertures inthe form of slots 26 located symmetrically in the median transverse axisof the bottom and serving to admit the passage of spring flexing pins ortools as will be presently described.

The spring leaf or plate 30 as shown in Fig. l is rectangular in shapeand provided with rectangular cars 31 in its front and rear edges. Inassembling the dispenser, the leaf 30 is placed in a flat position uponthe bottom 10, being of the width to fit with clearance in the recessesformed by the interruption of the side walls 11 and 12. The ears 31 arespaced to gauge the spring plate transversely and locate itsymmetrically with respect to the bottom 10 by engaging the upstandingside walls of the base. As shown in Fig. l, the spring leaf 30 isinitially and normally flat. It is, however, bowed transversely inassembling the elements of the dispenser and remains in upwardly concaveposition in the loaded dispenser.

The supporting plate is rectangular in outline and comprises a flatcentral portion 35 connected by two downwardly converging ribs 36 tofiat parallel side portions which lie in the same plane as the centralportion 35. This central portion is provided with long slots 37 at bothends shaped to receive with clearance the upstanding lugs 19 and 20 ofthe base. The ribs 36 are cut away at both ends so that the notched endsof the central portion 35 may rest flatly upon the tables 17 and 18 ofthe base and are reduced in depth throughout their central sections fora distance corresponding to the length of the recesses of the side walls11 and 12. The side sections of the supporting plate are provided withelongated notches or recesses 38 to afiord clearance for the ends of thespring plate 30, when the latter is subsequently bowed upwardly at itsouter edges about the ribs 36 as fulcrums. A function of the plate 35 isto support the blade stack always in fiat condition. This is importantWhen only 2 or 3 blades remain in the stack as if the spring boredirectly on them, it would cause bowing that might interfere with properdischarge of the blades. The plate keeps even the last blade of thestack in flat condition.

The cover is formed from a single integral blank of spring sheet metaland includes a fiat rectangular portion provided symmetrically with anelongated thumb or finger opening having an inturned rim 43, and isfolded inwardly at both ends to provide edges 44 and 45 cooperating withthe edges 21 and 22 to provide the upper edges of blade exit openings atopposite ends of the dispenser.

The cover is also provided with down-turned side walls 46 and 47 whichcorrespond in length to the distance between the pads 25 of the base andare provided at the lower edges with up-turned flanges 48, 49 designedto fit in the channels 13 already mentioned as being provided in thelower edges of the walls 11 and 12. The down-turned side walls 46 and 47are located symmetrically in the cover and the up-turned flanges, 48 and49 as will be apparent from Fig. l, have shallow end portions andcentral portions 50 and 51, respectively, of substantial height. Thehigh portions 50 and 51 of the up-turned flanges are symmetricallylocated in the transverse median axis of the cover and correspond inlength approximately to the width of the spring plate 30 and therecesses formed in the side walls of the base. They are biased inwardlyto positions beneath the outer edges of the spring leaf 30 as indicatedin Fig. 3.

The dispenser is herein shown as designed to contain 12 to 20 unwrappedsafety razor blades 40 of the type shown in Fig. 1, that is to say,doubled-edged longitudinally slotted blades having corner notchesdefining elongated unsharpened end portions. The blades are arranged inthe dispenser alternately in longitudinal overlapping relation. Theslots on one series of the blades are engaged by the abrupt outershoulder or end edge of the stud 20 while the slots of the other seriesare correspondingly engaged by the shoulder or outer edge of the studs19. Each blade, therefore, is positively held against inward movementbut may be readily displaced and ejected by outward movement undertraction supplied by the thumb of the user and removed through itsadjacent exit opening. While the blade stack rests upon the plate 35 itwill be seen that the studs 19, 20 pass through the end notches of theplate and enter the slots of the blades upon the plate.

It will be seen that (1) the recesses provided in the opposite sidewalls of the plastic base, (2) the elongated notches 38 in the oppositeedges of the blade-supporting plate, (3) the sections of reduced depthin ribs 36, and (4) the spring 30 are all of the same longitudinaldimension and are all located in transverse registered positions whenassembled in the dispenser.

The loading and assembling steps are carried out to best advantage withthe assistance of a fixture like that shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Thiscomprises a base 60 containing a movable bed-plate 61 supported in aninitial elevated position by spring-encircled studs 62 guided forvertical movement in bushings provided in the base 60. The side walls ofthe base are flanged to limit the upward movement of the bed-plate 61and hold it at a pre-determined level. A pair of spaced upstandingspring-flex ing pins 63 project upwardly through holes in the bedplate61, and these pins are designed to pass freely through the holes 26,already described as provided in the bottom 10 of the plastic base ofthe dispenser.

The fixture also includes a vertically movable plunger 70 of suchdimensions as to pass freely through the finger opening 43 of the sheetmetal cover. The plunger is provided with the shoulder 71 and issurrounded by a sleeve 72, which is initially engaged by the shoulder 71and provided with vacuum passages 73 terminating in ports located in theend of the sleeves. The sleeve 72 is thus adapted to pick up the sheetmetal cover 42 and to move it forcibly downward in registration with theplastic base which has already been presented to the bed-plate 61 in theposition shown in Fig. 2.

The plastic base is positioned upon the bed-plate 61 with theblade-supporting plate 35 resting upon the raised tables 17 and with astack of blades 40 positioned thereon by the studs 19 and 20 which passupwardly through the end notches 37 of the ribbed plate. The elementsabove-described are shown in this position in Fig. 2.

In the actual assembling step the plunger 70 is first brought intocontact with the blade stack and then the sleeve 72 descends with thesheet metal cover 46. Then both the plunger and the sleeve descendtogether, depressing the bed-plate 61 and causing the pins 63 to engagethe spring leaf 30 which until now has lain in flat condition upon thebottom 10 of the base with its side edges extending into the recesses inthe side walls 11 and 12. As this movement continues, the spring 30 isbowed upwardly at both edges to a position of maximum deformation overthe ribs 36 of the blade-supporting plate which now acts as fulcrums.Meanwhile, the side walls 46 and 47 of the sheet metal cover encounterthe upwardly tapering sections of the walls 11 and 12 of the base andare deflected outwardly with the result that the opposite edges of thebowed spring pass upwardly above the edges of the upstanding flanges 50and 51, while these flanges move inwardly beneath the edges of thespring as soon as the side walls 46 and 47 have passed downwardlybeneath the wall sections 11 and '12 so that they can snap into thechannels 13 in the base of these walls. The elements are shown in thisposition in Fig. 3, and it will be apparent that when theparts of thefixture are now separated, the spring 30 will be left in bowed andstressed condition biasing the spring-.supporting-piate 35 upwardly andyieldingly holding the uppermost blade in the stack against thedownturned rim 43 of the fingeropening and always in flat condition sothat it may be properly discharged through the exit slot.

The side walls 46 and 47 of the cover have meanwhile filled the spacebetween the end pads 25 of the side walls 11 and 12 of the base, and theshallow upturned flanges of these walls have snapped into the channels13 thus permanently uniting the cover and base. The stack of blades 40is enclosed within the dispenser and the spring 30 is mounted in bowedcondition upon the upstanding flanges of the metal cover. The upwardthrust of the spring is, therefore, carried entirely in a closedmetallic system and the plastic base relieved of all continuing stress.While the spring is herein shown as a substantially flat leaf, any otherform of spring may be employed with corresponding modification of itsmetal supporting structure.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail anillustrative embodiment thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. A blade dispenser comprising a plastic body having upstandingblade-locating ribs therein, a sheet metal cover having side walls withflanges and a symmetrically located finger opening therein, a stack ofslotted blades engaged with said upstanding ribs, a floating slottedsupport beneath the blade stack having a downwardly projecting rib, anda spring le'af resting at its opposite edges on the flanges of the coverand bowed downwardly by the rib of the floating support, therebyyieldingly urging the blade stack toward the finger opening of thecover.

2. A blade dispenser comprising a plastic body and a sheet metal coverattached to said body and having a finger opening therein said body andcover co-operating in forming an elongated enclosure, a stack of thinflexible blades within the enclosure, and a spring supported by themetal cover and urging the blade stack toward said finger opening whileleaving the plastic body of the dis penser free of stress.

3. A blade dispenser comprising a plastic body and a sheet metal coverconnected to the body at its longitudinal edges and having a fingeropening therein, said body and cover co-operating in forming anelongated enclosure, a stack of thin blades within the enclosure, and abowed spring engaged and supported at its opposite edges upon the metalcover independently of the plastic body of the dispenser in position tourge the blade stack yieldingly toward the finger opening of the cover.

4. A blade dispenser comprising a plastic body and a metal coverconnected thereto and having a finger opening therein, said body andcover cooperating in forming an elongated enclosure, a blade stack, aribbed plate underlying the blade stack, and a bowed spring engaged andsupported at its opposite sides by the metal cover independently of theplastic body of the dispenser and biased against said ribbed platethereby imparting yielding pressure to the blade stack toward the saidfinger opening of the cover.

5. A blade dispenser comprising a plastic base having a raised table ateach end, a sheet metal cover enclosing the base and having side wallswith opposed flanges extending above the base, a blade-supporting plateoverlying at its ends the tables of the base, and a bowed springengaging the flanges of the cover, underlying the said blade-supportingplate and holding it above said table.

6. A blade dispenser as described in claim in which the blade-supportingplate has a rib projecting downwardly below the level of said opposedflanges and engaged by said bowed spring.

7. A blade dispenser comprising a lastic base having a raised table ateach end and formed with a blade receiving recess adjacent each of saidtables, a cover enclosing the base and having up-turned flangessubstantially level with said tables, a blade-supporting plate overlyingthe tables of the base, and a bowed spring engaging said upturnedflanges and biasing said plate upwardly.

8. A blade dispenser comprising a plastic base having a bottom withtables raised above the bottom at both ends, and a sheet metal coverenclosing the base and having inturned flanges disposed substantially atthe level of said tables, a blade-supporting plate overlying saidtables, and a spring underlying said plate and bowed into engagementwith said flanges.

9. A blade dispenser of the character described in claim 8, in which thebottom of the plastic base is provided with apertures spaced aparttransversely and disposed respectively adjacent to its opposite edges topermit the passage of spring-deflecting projections.

10. A blade dispenser of the character described in claim 8 in which theblade-supporting plate has a pair of spaced downwardly extendingspring-deflecting ribs and the bottom of the plastic base has holeslocated below and in offset relation to the said ribs.

11. A blade dispenser comprising a plastic base having side wallsinterrupted to provide opposed recesses, a sheet metal cover enclosingthe base and having upstanding flanges located in said recesses, ablade-supporting plate within the dispenser having elongated edgenotches registering with the recesses of the side walls, and a springbowed into engagement with said upstanding flanges and extending intothe notches of the said blade-supporting plate. j

12. A blade dispenser having a molded plastic base, a sheet metal coverattached thereto and forming an enclosure therewith, a stack of bladesenclosed between the base and cover, and a normally flat spring engagedat its opposite ends with the cover and held thereby initially in bowedcondition of maximum distortion against the blade stack.

13. A blade dispenser comprising a one-piece base, a sheet metal coverattached thereto and forming an enclosure therewith, a stack of bladesenclosed beneath the cover, a supporting plate underlying the bladestack and presenting a fulcrum rib, and a spring biased over said riband forming with the cover a closed metallic system.

14. A blade dispenser of the character described in claim 13 in whichthe cover has side walls biased inwardly normally occupying positionsbeneath the outer edges of the said spring.

15. A blade dispenser comprising a hollow body having portions ofplastic material and portions of sheet metal cooperating to form anenclosure and presenting a finger opening, a stack of blades containedin the enclosure, and a spring supported solely by said sheet metalportions and constantly urging the blade stack toward the fingeropening.

16. A blade dispenser comprising a plastic base having an aperturedbottom, an elevated table at each end and an end wall beyond the table,in continuation with a cover of spring sheet metal forming with the basea blade enclosure and having side walls interlocking with the base andupturned side flanges disposed within said side walls, a stack of bladeswithin the enclosure, and a spring underlying said blade stack and bowedbeneath the stack by engagement with the side flanges of the cover, thusleaving the plastic base free of initial stress.

17. A blade dispenser comprising a hollow body having a blade exitopening, a stack of blades within said body, a spring substantially flatwhen unstressed and underlying said blade stack, and means within saidbody of the dispenser for holding said spring initially in a conditionof substantial deformation and thrusting against the blade stack formaintaining the uppermost blade of the stack in discharging position andpermitting 7 this spring to approach a substantially flat condition assuccessive blades are discharged.

18. A blade dispenser of the character described in claim 17 in whichthe Substantially flat spring has a pair of spaced projecting ears ateach edge which ears locate the spring symmetrically with respect to thebody of the dispenser by engaging walls thereof.

K 1 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,173,843 1,734,644 2,200,553

Morten -2. Feb. 29, 1916 Ostrander Nov. 5; 1929 Illmer May 14, 1940Benedict NOV. 11, 1952 WAT

